It takes a lot of beer to keep the wine business running smoothly. Here in Redwood City, we are very fortunate to have a great English style ale producer right in our backyard: Freewheel Brewing Company. The staff of K&L are fictures at our local pub, and it is a rare moment when one of us isn't there having a pint and a bite of their excellent food. We are also lucky enough to be the first place to offer their bottled beer for sale. If you have never had it, the Freewheel Brewing "FSB" Freewheel Special Bitter, California (500ml) is the benchmark in fresh, balanced, smashable ale. We will do our best to keep some in stock for you, the customer too!

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Tasting with Oliver Krug

Upcoming Events

We host regular weekly and Saturday wine tastings in each K&L location.

For the complete calendar, including lineups and additional details related to our events, visit our K&L Local Events on KLWines.com or follow us on Facebook.

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K&L is excited to host the official online premiere of Storm, a film about winemaker Ernst Storm made by Daniel Addelson. This film will be screening in the upcoming 16th Annual Sonoma International Film Festival, taking place April 10-14 in venues all over the town of Sonoma. We love the quaint charm and culinary delights of this historic wine country town, and while we can't think of a better destination for wine-loving film fans to support the arts while enjoying great wine and food, we know not everyone can make it to every festival...so we brought the film and wine to you. Cheers!

Storm is a look into the life of winemaker, Ernst Storm. It is an intimate portrait not only of the winemaking process and the beautiful landscapes of wine country, but more importantly it is an exploration of personal passion and what it means to pursue a fulfilling existence. Speaking poetically and candidly, Ernst shares his fears, his successes, and his musings on the balance of nature and artistic expression.

K&L Notes: South African transplant to California's Central Coast, Ernst Storm handcrafts small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in a style that combines old world sensibilities with new world technique. Sourced from La Presa, Curtis, Kingsley, and McGinley vineyards, four distinct sites in Santa Ynez with varying soil types and microclimates, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc shows classic citrus, grapefruit and grassy notes in the nose, with mouthwatering acidity, a nice creamy texture on the midpalate, and citrusy flavors echoing in the finish. Storm's technique of predominantly stainless steel fermentation (84%) followed by six months aging on the lees yields a balanced and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc that is delicious on its own but highly versatile with food. This is a winemaker to watch.

The Making of STORM We asked filmmaker (and K&L customer!) Daniel Addelson to provide some background on the making of the film and answer a few questions for us. Here is what he had to say:

DA: The intention was never to make a commercial for Storm Wines. I told this to Ernst from the start and he agreed. Our objective was to focus on something bigger, something universal - an artistic pursuit, an all consuming passion and the feelings that go with it. I kept on him for months, and finally everything came together, and we carved out some time to get started. I saw a seed of the story in Ernst's passion for wine, and I was intrigued by the way he talked about the process. I could tell something was different. A few barrel tastings later, and we decided to make it happen.

K&L: Why did you reach out to K&L for the online premiere of Storm? Do you shop at K&L?

DA: I have been shopping at K&L for years, and I am always impressed by the value and selection. I can spend the same amount I would at a grocery store and get a really amazing bottle of wine. The staff is also incredibly knowledgeable so it's easy to find something I like. I thought Storm would be a great place to premiere Storm because the film highlights many of the same things that K&L values in its inventory. Handpicked, quality wines that are affordable.

Why did you choose the Sonoma film festival to premiere Storm? Do you have plans to enter the film in other film festivals?

Sonoma was an easy choice for the premiere of Storm, as it is one of the original wine country film festivals. We'll be doing a tasting of Storm after the screening, so be sure to come by and see the film on the big screen. You can find the schedule here: www.sonomafilmfest.org. Hopefully there will be more screenings to come.

Are you a wine lover? What is your experience/relationship to wine?

I am definitely a wine lover. My relationship with wine is that when I have it, I drink it. I'm not very good about keeping bottles, but who is? About half of the bottles I drink are Storm. Living in California it's hard not to drink good wine all the time, because there is so much of it.

Any favorite wines or styles?

I am a big fan of Rhone varietals, and with those, the smokier and dirtier tasting the better. Then sometimes I want something that makes me think a little harder - light reds with subtleties. I tend to drink California and Oregon wines because I know more about them.

Wine is often compared to art. In the process of making Storm, did you come to see any parallels between the craft of winemaking and your own craft as a filmmaker that were surprising? Inspiring?

When made with love, wine is as much an art as painting or sculpture or film making for that matter. In my work, I am always drawn to stories of people who are passionate. The way Ernst speaks of the process was inspiring, and I knew I wanted to share his view with the world. I hope that people watching the film can see the universality in his spirit.

Making wine is a lot like making a movie. You plant little seeds of stories, and hope that they grow into something beautiful. Letting the environment and characters speak for themselves is the easiest way to do that.

Any concluding thoughts…?

Thanks for sharing, and I hope that your customers enjoy the film. The rest of my documentary work can be seen at www.danaddelson.com

What are you working on next?

I am currently developing a feature length documentary called, Grit about how children succeed. For more info, check out www.gritmovie.com

As most of you know, 2009 was an extraordinary year in the Cote d’Or, with perfect growing conditions, lovely ripeness and a bright, fresh fruit character for the reds. One of the villages where the vintage was particularly charming was Beaune. The best of the premier cru Beaunes are rich, concentrated and lovely on the palate. They will age beautifully, but the fruit is rich enough to make them immediately enjoyable. What I particularly like about my favorites from the southern end of Beaune (Vignes Franches, Clos des Mouches, Epenottes, etc.) is the bright red, almost crunchy fruit, accompanied by a rich mid-palate. Well, I have one of these, at a great price, while it lasts.

We just made a terrific purchase, and I wanted to let you know about it. It’s a delightful wine that I enjoyed at home with a roast chicken, and then (with some agony) left 1/3 bottle for evaluation the second day and was again very impressed with the wine with some wild salmon.

But it got those kissing your sister sort of scores, with 89 points, so the importer could not sell it and gave us a very special price on the wine, which we are passing along to you. Don't miss this, as it is a terrific value from one of the best vintages in Burgundy.

It’s not Clos des Mouches, but at about 1/3 the price, it’s pretty darned compelling! I bought some for myself, and am struggling to avoid drinking it all immediately, although I know it will be better in a few years…

Here the nose is both elegant and fresh and seems to be composed of essence of red pinot fruit and discreet earth notes where the latter element progresses to the delicious, round, generous and fleshy middle weight flavors that culminate in a satisfying, detailed and reasonably persistent finish. Consistent with almost all of the offering in the range, this is fashioned in an distinctly understated style where the individual aspects are beautifully proportioned. This could easily be enjoyed now or cellared for 5 to 7 years first. (1/ 2012)

89 points Wine Spectator

Rich and spicy, this red fills the palate with cherry, raspberry and a touch of earth notes. The texture is smooth and it shows moderate length. Best from 2013 through 2018. (1/ 2011)

K&L Notes

This comes from the well-regarded vineyard on the border with Pommard Epenots, just below Clos des Mouches. It has weight and will age well, although the exuberant fruit will make you want to drink it sooner rather than later. Only a special purchase makes this retail price a possibility. (Keith Wollenberg, K&L Burgundy Buyer, 08/12)

Chiara Shannon: What's not to love here? With fresh watermelon and strawberry aromas and flavors lifted by hints of tomato leaf and chalky minerals, this 100% Pinot Noir rose is fruity and refreshing without skimping on complexity. Served chilled, this is delightful on its own or accompanied by a fresh nicoise salad. It would also make a cleansing counter pairing to a more substantial dish, such as a provencal chicken or sausage stew with tomato and fresh rosemary.

Bryan Brick: On a recent week long trip to Oregon scouting out wines with my counterpart in San Francisco Mike Jordan we found tons of great stuff. We met with something like 30 wineries and were impressed by pretty much everyone; however few of our visits rivaled the one we had with Jason Lett at Eyrie Vineyards...From what may be some of the oldest Pinot Gris vines in the Willamette Valley this Pinot Gris is head and shoulders above all that we tasted on our trip...more

2009 Bodegas Norton "Privada" Mendoza ($17.99) 93 WE | 91 RP | 91 WS Bodegas Norton is back in a big way with their Privada bottling from the very solid 2009 vintage made of nearly equal parts Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Joe Manekin: Though I'm not a "brand hater"...the larger guys need to continually prove themselves and earn a spot here. And this year, Norton really earned it. Their 2009 privada bottling is all pure, fresh, focused red fruits, with a satisfying texture and persistent finish. For the price, you could not ask for a tastier new world Malbec Cab blend.

2010 Sarno Fiano di Avellino ($24.99) Tenuta Sarno's organically farmed vineyards are situated on 4.5 hectares and are planted on rich soil deposits of calcareous clay and limestone characteristic of the region- a phenomenon attributable to the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1944.

Chris Miller: Citrus, foral notes and minerals blossom on the mid-palate of this rich, textured white. The long , elegant fnish gives way to notes of honey and toasted hazelnuts. Hands down, one of the best Fiano d'Avellino I've ever tasted.

Susan Thornett: We don't often get beautiful, direct-from-France, well-aged Burgundies so it is a real pleasure to have this 02 Malconsorts available to sell. It needs some time to open in a decanter as it is still a little young. Lots of forest-floor and rich mushroomy goodness on the nose, the structure is quite firm and well balanced, do enjoy this one with food!

We offer five excellent wine clubs and a new exclusive Personal Sommelier Service, that allow you to sample outstanding wines from all over the world. Due to our bulk purchase power and longstanding relationships, the quality and value offered by these clubs are tremendous. Unlike winery clubs where you typically taste the same wines year after year, our clubs offer phenomenal variety that is strictly selected by our panel of buyers. See for yourself.